Spark! Technology Innovation Program: Work on your project
Innovation at Spark! starts with an idea and the people willing to build it. Whether you have a fully formed concept or just the beginnings of one, there’s a place for you here — a course that takes your project from sketch to prototype, a stage to show your work in progress, funding to hack the space around you, or weekly hours with mentors who have shipped real products.
If you have a project you want to build or take to the next level but don’t know where to start, XC475 will help you take your project from an idea to a working prototype in one semester. If you don’t have an idea but want to join a student-driven innovation project, this course is for you too. You will work through Spark!’s structured product innovation process with technical support from Spark! experts and industry mentors. An application and interview are required for registration to this course.
Code & Tell is BU Spark!’s monthly open-mic style showcase where student builders take the stage to share what they’ve been working on, whether it’s a quick fix for an everyday problem, the first spark of a startup idea, or a project that’s been in progress for a while. Presenters get the chance to demo their work, gather live feedback from peers, and trade ideas with other builders across the BU community, all in a low-stakes, high-energy setting built for encouragement. Every presenter walks away with swag, and the audience selects a standout project for a special prize, making Code & Tell a space where students can celebrate progress, learn from each other, and get inspired by what the BU community is building.
Hack Our Space is a BU Spark! initiative that invites students to transform ordinary parts of the Spark! space into playful, interactive experiences. The goal is to make the space feel more surprising and engaging, with projects that encourage curiosity and interaction between people. Ideas can range from chairs that play sounds when someone sits down to responsive lighting, interactive entrances, musical plants, or a hacked basketball hoop. Students are encouraged to propose their own concepts rather than stick to the examples provided.
Tech Innovation Hours is a new weekly program at BU Spark! that brings students and industry mentors together in a dedicated space to build. Every Wednesday from 4 to 6pm, student teams work on real projects alongside experienced mentors who offer technical direction, help think through architecture and design tradeoffs, review progress, and share the kind of industry perspective that’s hard to find in a classroom. With mentors spanning software engineering and UX, Tech Innovation Hours gives students consistent, hands-on guidance as they turn ideas into working products, and gives mentors a direct way to shape the next generation of builders.
IdeaJams are working sessions built around one goal: generating project ideas worth building — and worth putting on your GitHub. Each session helps you develop a backlog of technically interesting ideas for hackathons, side projects, or Spark!’s XC475 innovation program. Leave with ideas you can actually build — projects that demonstrate initiative, strengthen your portfolio, and help you stand out to employers.